Don't Push Send Yet!

How do you answer these six questions:

1. Have you ever written and sent an email in haste?
2. Have you ever sent an email without reading it over first?
3. Have you ever forgotten to attach the attachment?
4. Have you answered only two of the three questions asked?
5. Have you ever sent an email when you’re angry? And then regret it later?
6. Have you ever sent a detailed email that needs follow up on either your end or the receiver’s and you never print it out so as to know how to follow up? And then you have to search through all your sent emails to find it?

I think we all have done at least one or two (or three) of these. I know I have.

When there is sensitive information, what is your process before pushing ‘send?’

Here are six suggestions:

1) Print out the email and read it out loud. I used to read my emails to my dog and watch her reaction as well as hear the words out loud.
2) Read the email to another person and get feedback re your intent
3) Send it to yourself first, and if it reads OK, then send it to the original person
4) Save it as a draft and look at it 30 minutes later
5) Double check that you have rna. answered all the questions askedrnb. attached a document if you said you were going tornc. said exactly what you wanted to sayrnd. have an opening and a close
6) If you need to follow up beyond the email, print out the email so you have the information at hand to know what you need to do next or what is required of the receiver.

The written word lasts longer than the longest memory. Be careful what you put in writing—to be sure it’s not misunderstood, misconstrued, or misinterpreted.